l-andBaddinsgill Farm Peatland Restoration

We are sharing our plans early so that local residents, land users and neighbouring interests can ask questions and provide feedback before work starts.

The landowner intends to register the peatland restoration work on their respective land areas with the IUCN’s Peatland Code. The Peatland Code is a voluntary certification standard for UK peatland projects that validates and quantifies the climate benefits of peatland restoration and provides assurances that any climate benefits being claimed or traded are real, quantifiable, additional and permanent. A part of the Peatland Code’s validation process, is a requirement that project owners identify, notify and consult relevant stakeholders with regard to the proposed restoration project and take action to mitigate any identified negative impacts of the project on stakeholders where feasible and/or relevant.

We welcome you to review this consultation document which provides details of the proposed project. We do not anticipate that the proposed restoration project would have significant negative impact on any stakeholders. However, if you have any concerns regarding this proposed project, please contact us through the “Have Your Say” section of the Project L-and website. If the project is successful in proceeding, then further information on its progress and outcomes will be made available here.

Helping tackle climate change

Peatlands are one of Scotland’s most powerful natural tools for tackling climate change. Although they cover only around 20% of Scotland’s land area, they store more carbon than all the UK’s forests combined. For thousands of years, peat has locked away carbon safely in deep, waterlogged soils. When peat dries out and erodes, that stored carbon is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide – adding to climate change. Restoring peatlands will re-wet the bog, slow erosion, and allow the peat to begin storing carbon again, helping to turn this land from a carbon “leak” back into a long-term carbon sink.

Supporting wildlife and nature

Healthy peatlands are some of Scotland’s richest and most distinctive wildlife habitats. They support breeding birds such as curlew, snipe, golden plover and skylark, as well as dragonflies, beetles, and specialist plants like sphagnum mosses that are found almost nowhere else. These mosses are especially important – they act like natural sponges, holding water and slowly building new peat over time. By restoring the damaged bog, the project will create wetter, more stable conditions that allow these species to return and thrive, strengthening the area’s biodiversity for future generations.

Improving water quality

The Baddinsgill peatland lies within a drinking water catchment, which makes its condition especially important. Degraded peat can release sediment, colour and nutrients into burns and reservoirs, increasing water treatment costs and reducing water quality. Healthy peatlands act as natural water filters – slowing rainfall as it moves through the landscape and trapping sediment before it reaches streams. Restoring this bog will help stabilise soils, reduce erosion into watercourses, and support cleaner, clearer water flowing into the local catchment.

Reducing erosion and flood risk

Damaged peatlands can shed water very quickly after heavy rain, sending fast-moving runoff down slopes into burns and rivers. This can worsen erosion locally and contribute to flooding further downstream. Healthy bogs behave differently – their sponge-like surfaces soak up rainfall and release it slowly over time. By blocking old drains and repairing eroding peat, the land will begin to hold water again, helping to slow runoff, reduce erosion, and play a small but important role in natural flood management.

During autumn 2026, specialist peatland restoration contractors will carry out work across the bog areas at Baddinsgill using wide-tracked, low-ground-pressure excavators designed specifically for peatland environments. These machines spread their weight so that they “float” across the bog surface, keeping disturbance to a minimum.

A major part of the work will focus on repairing historic drainage ditches with “wave dams”, a proven method known as the “zip and wave” technique. Many of the old drains cut across the bog act like open gutters, rapidly draining water away and drying out the peat. The zip and wave method repairs these drains in a natural and long-lasting way.

Instead of blocking drains only at a few points, the excavator gradually “zips” along the drain, pressing and folding peat back into the channel in a gentle wave-like pattern. This creates a continuous series of low peat bunds that follow the shape of the land, slowing the flow of water and allowing it to spill back out across the bog surface. The result is that water is spread more evenly across the peatland, rather than being channelled away down narrow cuts.